One defining trait of ultranationalist governments and their adherents is the belief that any criticism of the government or its policies is tantamount to an attack on the nation itself. Different countries respond to this perceived threat in different ways – mostly depending on how far down the authoritarian path they’ve traveled.
Take North Korea. Any criticism of Kim Jong Un, his ancestors, or the repressive policies of his government is met swiftly and brutally. Dissidents are routinely imprisoned in forced labor camps. Worse still, these camps don’t just punish the individual who “misbehaved” – family members can be sent to those same camps as a form of “guilt by association” and social circles are rumored to be imprisoned as collective punishment for one person’s dissent.
Russia handles things differently, but the authoritarian brutality remains. Dissidents may be sent to penal colonies in Siberia, where many people, including Alexei Navalny, die from a combination of harsh conditions and withheld medical care. Others, like Mikhail Khodorkovsky are allowed to leave after serving their prison time. But there are also extrajudicial consequences.
Government officials in Russia have an uncanny tendency to fall from high-rise windows. It is so commonplace that Newsweek has an article titled Full List of Russians to Fall Out of Windows Since Putin Invaded Ukraine. Russian dissidents who flee the country face even greater risks – poisoning is a common method used to silence them. Victims of poisonings that are suspected to be linked to Russian Intelligence include Alexei Navalny, Alexander Litvinenko, and Vladimir Kara-Murza.
All of this is to say: no matter how bad things may seem in America, we’re still on the starting end of the slope toward ultranationalist authoritarianism – with (hopefully) time to hit the brakes and reverse course.
The United States is unique because we treat the criticism of two countries with the same disdain as actual authoritarian leaders would treat criticism of their own: Israel and, to a lesser extent, the United States itself.
Any commentary suggesting Israel compromise with Palestinians is frequently countered as an antisemitic attack. Pointing out the disparity in civilian death tolls between Palestinians and Israelis? Also labeled antisemitic. Advocating for Israel to withdraw to its 1967 borders? You guessed it—again, branded antisemitic.
This standard of accepting no criticism applies only for Israel. Say what you will about Belgium, Uganda, or Australia, and no one will accuse you of harboring anti-Belgianism, anti-Ugandanism, or anti-Australianism.
Let me be clear: antisemitism is real, and it remains a serious threat both globally and here in the United States. But hatred, violence, and discrimination against Jews simply for being Jewish is categorically different from criticizing the policies of the Israeli government.
What’s strange is that, as far as I can tell, there’s used to be more open debate about Israeli policies within Israel itself than has been permitted on the floors of Congress or in mainstream American media. That seems to have come to an end, with the Knesset Ethics Committee providing cover for calls to “burn Gaza” as being free speech while censuring or suspending lawmakers for speaking out against Israeli military operations in Gaza.
Donald Trump has pursued a similar strategy in the U.S.—framing any criticism, disagreement, or obstruction of his policies as evidence of deep hatred for America, treasonous, or even aligned with Satan. This includes protesters, Democratic lawmakers, judges who issue unfavorable rulings, and really anyone to the political left of him.
The political Right often deflects warnings about this behavior by saying, “If he were truly authoritarian, you wouldn’t be allowed to say these things.” That’s true. But the danger isn’t that we’ve arrived at authoritarianism, but that we’re normalizing its language – and that’s how the slope gets slippery.
Thankfully for us, A Halo Called Fred and John S. Hall (of King Missile) composed a perfect score – A Little Bit Free: A Fascism Litmus Test – in order to help us determine whether we have fallen to fascism. If you want a humorous take on this serious issue, this is the song that crystalizes it: